Petersen, Sven , Haeckel, Matthias , Steffen, Jan and Kersten, Christoph, eds. and the Strategy Group “Mineral Resources” of the German Marine Research Consortium (KDM) (2020) Mineral Resources of the Deep Sea: Formation, Potential and Risks. . GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel , Kiel, Germany, 36 pp.

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Abstract

All the metallic raw materials currently in demand by mankind are extracted on land and are thus only found below a third of the earth’s surface. The oceans, which at 71 percent make up the largest part of the earth‘s surface, have hardly been used so far. But the persistently high demand and the resulting sharp rise of raw material prices are now pushing deep-sea mining into the realm of profitability. The seabed is already an important source of raw materials for mankind. Sand and gravel as well as oil and gas have been extracted from the sea for many years. In addition, diamonds have long been mined off the coasts of South Africa and Namibia as well as deposits of tin, titanium, and gold along the coasts of Africa, Asia and Australia. The extraction of raw ma-terials from the sea is therefore not new. In the near future, however, a number of mineral resources that are to be extracted from the deep sea could gain economic importance. These include massive sulphides, which form in areas of volcanic activity at the plate boundaries in the oceans, manganese nodules on the sediment-covered deep-sea plains and cobalt-rich manganese crusts on the flanks of old submarine mountain ranges. In addition to economic aspects, the protection of the marine environment also plays an important role. Marine science is research for the future: For many years, GEOMAR has been investigating marine raw material deposits. With an interdisciplinary research approach and in close coop-eration with scientists worldwide, the various aspects relevant to the use of marine mineral resources are comprehensively examined. With this brochure, we intend to give you a closer look at the origin, economic potential and ecological risks of a possible exploitation of these deep-sea resources.

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